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Sadat's
death was greeted with
jubilation
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The Egyptian Capitulation of "Camp David
Accords" do not brought prosperity to Egypt.
With no real improvement in the economy, Sadat
became increasingly unpopular. His isolation in
the Arab world was matched by his increasing
remoteness from the mass of Egyptians. While
Sadat's critics in the Arab world remained
beyond his reach, increasingly he reacted to
criticism at home by expanding censorship and
jailing his opponents. In addition, Sadat
subjected the Egyptians to a series of referenda
on his actions and proposals that he invariably
won by more than "99 percent" of the vote. For
example, in May 1979 the "Egyptian people"
"approved" the Egyptian-Israeli "treaty"
(Capitulation) by "99.9 percent"(!!!) of those
voting.
One of Sadat's most remarkable acts during
this period was the so-called "Law of Shame",
which was drafted at Sadat's express
instructions. Among the shameful crimes
punishable under this law were "broadcasting or
publishing gross or scurrilous words or pictures
that could offend ... the dignity of the state."
Offenders could be barred from public life or
from engaging in economic activity or managing
their own property; they could be condemned to
internal exile or prohibited from leaving the
country. The Law of Shame was approved in a
referendum by "98.56 percent" of the
"electorate". This was remarkable since there
was widespread opposition to the law, which was
denounced as "an act of shame."
In May 1980, an impressive, nonpartisan body
of citizens charged Sadat with superseding his
own constitution. Their manifesto declared, "The
style in which Egypt is governed today is not
based on any specific form of government. While
it is not dictatorship, Nazism, or fascism,
neither is it democracy or pseudodemocracy."
In September 1981, Sadat ordered the biggest
roundup of his opponents since he came to power,
at least 1,500 people according to the official
figure but more according to unofficial reports.
The Muslim Brotherhood bore the brunt of the
arrests. The supreme guide of the Brotherhood,
Umar Tilmasani, and other religious militants
were arrested. Sadat also withdrew his
"recognition" of the Coptic pope Shenudah III,
banished him to a desert monastery, and arrested
several bishops and priests. Also arrested were
such prominent figures as journalist Mohamed
Heikal, and Wafd leader Fuad Siraj ad Din. Sadat
ordered the arrest of several SLP leaders and
the closing of Elshaab (The People) newspaper. A
referendum on his purge showed nearly "99.5
percent" of the "electorate" approved.
On October 6 1981, while observing a military
parade commemorating the eighth anniversary of
the October 1973 War, Sadat was assassinated by
members of Al Jihad movement, a group of
militant islamists. Sadat's assassin was
Lieutenant Khalid al Islambuli. Those
islamists were arrested and tried. In April
1982, two of them were shot and three
hanged.
Whereas a big number of Gewish and Western
leaders, including three former United States
presidents, attended Sadat's funeral, only one
member of the Arab League was represented by a
head of state, Sudan. Only two, Oman and
Somalia, sent representatives. In Egypt 43
million people went on with the celebration of
Id al Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, as if
nothing had happened. There were no throngs in
the streets, grieving and lamenting, as there
were when Nasser died. In the Islamic world,
Sadat's death was greeted with jubilation.
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